Friday, April 11, 2014

A question answered...

To answer an oft asked question about why I don't do more detailed critiques of boats.

I try not to be a critical kind of guy...

Given the opportunity I'm much happier to point out something interesting in a boat rather than nitpick its design flaws, issues, or failings.

That said, I have been known to go on and on about silly pricing and, I expect, will continue to do so.

The bottom line in the VolksCruising world is that most boats work. Admittedly some might work a bit better than others but providing that they happen to float right side up is a pretty good indicator that they'll get you where you want to go.

Back when I still drove, I used to drive between LA and NYC for film jobs on a pretty regular basis... It's a long drive. I've driven it in a Porsche, VWs, various pickups and an old Korean war vintage ambulance. Hell, there might even have been a Country Squire in there somewhere as well. The thing is they all got me safely where I wanted to go in a reasonable amount of comfort. Sure some were better at some things than others but I should also add that all also had their foibles as well... In hindsight they really were all just cars that got me where I needed to go and in that regard they did it equally well.

Much the same can be said of boats and comparing a Tahiti ketch derived sailboat, a sharpie, multihull, and whatever other sort of boat you care to add to the mix is that they all have advantages and disadvantages but when the dust settles they'll all get you where you want to go.

The biggest issue of getting on the water is not to find the perfect boat or making whatever boat you get perfect but simply to sort out what it takes to get out and actually do it.